Okay first off, when I say bad I do NOT want to demonize anything. All things in moderation are fine and dandy, so by ‘bad’ I mean foods that have a lot of calories, fat, or are just pretty nasty and chemical laden in general.
I realize that a lot of you are not all health gurus and thought it would be helpful to do a list of some easy ways to swap out ‘bad’ foods for healthier and more nourishing foods to jump start your journey to a healthier and fitter life 🙂
1. Instead of white bread (read lack of nutritional value and simple carbohydrates) for whole grain bread, or breads with low sugar content! My favorite breads are sourdough and Ezekiel brand ‘Sprouted 100% Whole Grain.’
2.No more soda!! Even diet soda please .. and I know it is hard, because even I get these completely random and absurd cravings for diet coke (damn you, Aspartame …). But please try and stick to water and teas (no not Starbuck’s chai tea latte’s, an actual tea bag placed into hot water).Be creative! Slice lemon and strawberries into your water, and buy flavored herbal tea’s 🙂
3. Instead of white rice (refer back to #1), substitute this for brown rice, wholegrain rice, or my favorite, quinoa! Quinoa is actually a seed but is classified as a whole grain.
4. Instead of white or milk chocolate (packed, packed, packed full of sugar) substitute it with dark chocolate (70% cocoa or higher) or carob. If the taste is too bitter, you can always melt the chocolate and add a few drops of stevia to it to sweeten it up 🙂
5. Instead of french fries made from potatoes, use sweet potatoes to make them .. and bake them, don’t deep fry! If you would like a recipe, please let me know and I will do a feature on an upcoming Friday Fare 🙂
6. Instead of butter (on your toast, in your baking and/or cooking) use coconut oil! Another substitute would be olive oil, or avocado (for putting on toast).
7. Instead of a sugary candy bar, substitute it with berries and other fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, and apples!
8. Instead of fast-food pizza, make your own pizza at home with whole wheat flour!
9. Instead of ice-cream, which tends to have a lotttt of sugar in it, substitute it for my healthified ice cream 🙂
10. Finally, substitute your negative attitude into a positive one! I know this obviously is not a food substitute but it is important nevertheless. A healthy and positive mindset on life will do so much more than any food substitutions will, and give you the motivation to strive for a healthier lifestyle.
Hope this helps you find a way to have a healthier version of what you love eating. What is your biggest ‘bad’ vice? Let me know in the comments below 🙂
Honestly yours,
Alice